This invention pertains to a cervical spine restraint for a spine board, which may be also called a rescue board or a back board, and to a spine board equipped with the cervical spine restraint. The cervical spine restraint is adjustable in a novel manner.
A human spine comprises twenty-four vertebrae, which are grouped into three groups, in what are known as the cervical spine, the thoracic spine, and the lumbar spine. Cervical spine injuries, in the neck region, can be quite significant, particularly but not exclusively if they have resulted from motor vehicle collisions, swimming-related causes, or other sports-related causes.
Commonly, the initial care of a person who has been found to have suffered a cervical spine injury, or who may have suffered a cervical spine injury, involves restraining the cervical spine of the person on a spine board, which may be also called a rescue board or a back board, via a cervical spine restraint, which may be also called a head or neck restraint or a head or neck immobilizer. Examples of spine boards, some equipped with cervical spine restraints, are found in prior patents including U.S. Pat. No. 2,141,100, No. 3,707,734, No. 473,912, No. 4,528,981, No. 5,243,639, No. 5,414,883, No. 5,435,323, No. 5,515,869, No. 5,568,662, No. 5,771,513, and No. 6,223,749.
A cervical spine restraint of a type known heretofore comprises a lower pad, which is adapted to overlie a portion of a spine board and which has a central portion and two lateral portions, and further comprising two lateral pads, each of which is attached to one of the lateral portions of the lower pad. Each pad has a core, which is molded from a resilient, polymeric material, and each pad has a vinyl-dipped exterior. The lateral pads, which may be also called side pads or side or lateral blocks, are attached to the lateral portions via hook-and-loop fasteners, which enable the lateral pads to be adjustably positioned on the lateral portions of the lower pad. Straps are attached to the lower pad so as to be deployable around the lateral pads so as to restrain a patient""s head on the central portion of the lower pad, between the lateral pads.
When a cervical spine restraint of the type noted above is used, the head of an injured person is rested on the central portion of the lower pad, between the lateral pads, which are positioned to restrain the person""s head. Thereupon, the straps attached to the lower pad are deployed around the lateral pads so as to restrain the person""s head on the central portion of the lower pad, between the lateral pads. Cervical spine restraints of the type noted above are available commercially from Adolph Kiefer and Associates, Inc. of Zion, Ill., under its xe2x80x9cKiefer Universal Head Immobilizerxe2x80x9d trade designation.
According to a first aspect of this invention, this invention provides, for a spine board, a cervical spine restraint comprising a lower pad, which is adapted to overlie a portion of the spine board and which has a central portion and two lateral portions, and further comprising two lateral pads, each of which is attached to one of the lateral portions. This invention provides that the cervical spine restraint further comprises a positionable pad, which is positionable in a position where the positionable pad overlies the central portion of the lower pad and in positions where the positionable pad does not overlie the central portion of the lower pad. Preferably, the positionable pad is hinged to one of the other pads. In a preferred embodiment, the positionable pad is hinged to the central portion of the lower pad.
In a preferred embodiment, in which the cervical spine restraint further comprises straps attached to the lower pad and adapted to be deployed around the lateral pads so as to restrain a patient""s head on the central portion of the lower pad if the positionable pad does not overlie the central portion thereof, or on the positionable pad if the positionable pad overlies the central portion thereof, and between the lateral pads, the lateral pads has grooves to guide the straps when deployed around the lateral pads.
When the positionable pad overlies the central portion of the lower pad, a person""s head can rest on the overlying portion while upper portions of the person""s torso can rest directly on a spine board underlying the lower pad. When the positionable pad does not overlie the central portion of the lower pad but overlies a portion of a spine board underlying the lower pad, a person""s head can rest on the central portion of the lower pad while upper portions of the person""s torso can rest on the positionable pad. The cervical spine restraint can be thus adjusted so as to accommodate both a person, such as a large adult, for whom elevation of the persons""s head may be indicated and a person, such as a small child, for whom elevation of the person""s head may be contraindicated. Whether such elevation is indicated or contraindicated for any given person, in any given instance, is a matter to be decided by medical personnel.